A huge rescue operation has managed to save more than 368 people including hundreds of terrified high school children from a sinking South Korean passenger ferry after half the ship began dangerously submerging into the sea on Wednesday.
At least four people - including an employee of the boat company and a student - were killed and 55 passengers were injured as the ship sank, officials confirmed.
Dozens of boats, helicopters and divers scrambled to rescue more than 470 people were were aboard the 6,825-ton ferry in what emergency services are calling the country's biggest peacetime disaster in 20 years.
Officials claim 164 people have been rescued so far, but the South Korean Coast Guard fear the number of casualties could rise 'drastically' as they continue to drag passengers out of the water and try to locate people who are still trapped inside.
The ferry was sailing to the southern island of Jeju when it sent a distress call Wednesday morning after it began leaning to one side, according to the Ministry of Security and Public Administration.
Coast guard footage showed the vessel submerged with only its bow visible 12 miles from Byeongpoong island off the southwest corner of the Korean peninsula. The government said about 95 percent of the ship was submerged.
Helicopters approach the ferry to help rescue
the 476 passengers and crew after the vessel sank on on its way to Jeju
island in South Korea
Drama: Members of the South Korea Coast Guard rescue passengers and crew as the ferry lists perilously to one side
The Ministry of Security and Public Administration named 27-year-old woman Park
Ji-yeong, a female employee of the boat operator and high school student Jeong Cha Woong as the victims, according to Bloomberg.
As well the passengers, there were 150 vehicles on board the ferry Sewol, officials said. Witnesses said many people were likely still inside the vessel.
An official from the Danwon High School in Ansan, a Seoul suburb, had earlier said all of its 338 students and teachers had been rescued but that could not be confirmed by the coastguard, who lowered the figure as the search effort continued.
The cause of the disaster was not immediately clear although some survivors reported that the ship appeared to have been involved in some sort of impact.
'It was fine then the ship went 'boom' and there was a noise of cargo falling,' said Cha Eun-ok, who was on deck of the ferry taking photographs when the disaster began.
'The on-board announcement told people to stay put ... people who stayed are trapped,' she said in Jindo, the nearest town from the scene of the accident.
A member of the crew of a government ship involved in the rescue, who said he had spoken to members of the sunken ferry's crew, said the area was free of reefs or rocks and the cause was likely some sort of malfunction on the vessel.
As well the passengers, there were 150 vehicles on board the ferry Sewol, officials said. Witnesses said many people were likely still inside the vessel.
An official from the Danwon High School in Ansan, a Seoul suburb, had earlier said all of its 338 students and teachers had been rescued but that could not be confirmed by the coastguard, who lowered the figure as the search effort continued.
The cause of the disaster was not immediately clear although some survivors reported that the ship appeared to have been involved in some sort of impact.
'It was fine then the ship went 'boom' and there was a noise of cargo falling,' said Cha Eun-ok, who was on deck of the ferry taking photographs when the disaster began.
'The on-board announcement told people to stay put ... people who stayed are trapped,' she said in Jindo, the nearest town from the scene of the accident.
A member of the crew of a government ship involved in the rescue, who said he had spoken to members of the sunken ferry's crew, said the area was free of reefs or rocks and the cause was likely some sort of malfunction on the vessel.
A total of 16 helicopters, 34 rescue vessels and
navy divers were sent to the area, a vice minister for South Korea's
Public Administration and Security Ministry, told a news conference
Local media ran terrifying photos showing the
partially submerged ferry tilting dramatically as helicopters flew
overhead and rescue vessels floated nearby
Rescue mission: This photo taken at sea some 12
miles off the island of Byungpoong in Jindo shows South Korea Coast
Guard members searching near a South Korean ferry after it began to sink
on its way to Jeju island from Incheon
Trapped: Passengers wait for help inside a cabin of the ship. Officials said 95 per cent of the vessel was submerged
There were reports of the ferry having veered off its course but coordinates of the site of the accident provided by port authorities indicated it was not far off the regular shipping lane.
Several survivors spoke of hearing a 'loud impact' before the ship started listing and rolling on its side. Within a couple of hours, the Sewol lying on its port side.
Soon after, the ship had completely turned over, with only the forward part of its white and blue hull showing above the water.
Coastguard vessels and fishing boats scrambled to the rescue with television footage showing rescuers pulling passengers in life vests out of the water as their boats bobbed beside the ferry's hull. Other passengers were winched to safety by helicopters.
A student, Lim Hyung-min, told broadcaster YTN from a gym on a nearby island that he jumped into the ocean wearing a life jacket with other students and then swam to a nearby rescue boat.
'As the ferry was shaking and tilting, we all tripped and bumped into each another,' Lim said, adding that some people were bleeding. Once he jumped, the ocean 'was so cold. ... I was hurrying, thinking that I wanted to live.'
Dramatic rescue of people aboard the sinking South Korean ferry
Gathering: Dozens of boats, including fishing
vessels, travel towards the boat (bottom right) which is almost
completely submerged
Turning: Debris is scattered and left floating on the surface as the ferry's deck continues to be engulfed by water
Side: Rescue teams approach the sunken vessel in an attempt to pull passengers from the ferry
Bleak: The effort to find the 300 missing passengers is becoming increasingly harder as the ferry continues to sink
Containers spill out into the water as vessels join the rescue effort, which has been going on for several hours
Protection: A young girl is wrapped up in a
blanket after being rescued by South Korean maritime policemen from the
sinking vessel
Passengers in life jackets swim towards rescue boats as they are pulled from the ferry 20km off the island of Byungpoong
A group of rescue boats and fishing vessels
approach the sunken ferry as they try to rescue passengers who have been
stuck on board for several hours
Warmth: Survivors are covered in blankets as they are taken off rescue vessels and led to safety on the shore
A passenger steps off the deck of the ferry, which is sloping perilously towards the sea, onto a rescue boat
Retrieval: South Korean Coast Guard members
hover over the submerged boat in a helicopter as trapped passengers grab
onto rails and climb onto the outside of the ship waiting to be rescued
Drop: A passenger is rescued from the second deck of the sinking ferry as she hangs over the water
Injured: An injured passenger rescued by South
Korean maritime policemen from a sinking ship in the sea off Jindo, is
treated at a port in Jindo April 16, 2014
Victims: This photo shows people being brought
onto land in Jindo after a South Korean ferry carrying 476 passengers
and crew sank on its way to Jeju island from Incheon
Local media ran terrifying photos showing the partially submerged ferry tilting dramatically as helicopters flew overhead and rescue vessels and a small boat covered with an orange tarp over it floated nearby. It happened about 100km south of the Korean peninsula.
Passenger Kim Seong-mok, speaking from a nearby island after his rescue, told YTN that he was 'certain' people were trapped inside the ship as water quickly filled up inside and the severe tilt of the ferry kept them from reaching the exits. Some people yelled at those who couldn't get out, urging them to break windows.
Kim said that after having breakfast he felt the ferry tilt and then heard it crash into something. He said the ferry operator made an announcement asking that passengers wait and not move from their places. Kim said he didn't hear any announcement telling passengers to escape.
Fears: As the sun set over Jindo island, rescue
teams were still desperately hunting for survivors, some of whom are
still trapped inside
Hope: A man sits on the edge of the harbour in Jindo, waiting for missing relatives from the sunken ferry
Anxious: A group gather by the waterfront to
wait for rescue boats to return. Elite Navy SEAL divers have joined the
effort to find missing passengers
Together: Three men in face masks gather on the
harbour to wait for news of their relatives. Many are still thought to
be trapped in the ship
After dark: Relatives stayed as night drew in,
anxious for news of survivors. The fading light however means the search
effort will be more difficult
Cold: Students lean against railings, wrapped up in blankets as the search effort continues
Searching: Three people look out to sea, waiting for survivors to return safely
Shelter: Relatives lay down blankets and sit a gym, waiting for news of the whereabouts of their loved ones
Difficult time: Two women try and comfort each
other as they wait for news of the survivors. Some are still believed to
be trapped inside the sunken vessel
Distress: Two South Koreans show their devastation as they wait for updates from the sea
Transport: Survivors, wrapped in blankets are led towards a coach by the emergency services after being brought onto land
Huddled together: Rescued passengers are
escorted by members of a rescue team upon their arrival at a port in
Jindo, while the coast guard continue to drag people out of the water
and search for survivors
Horrified: Three women react after being rescued on the ferry that was travelling from Incheon to Jeju island
Operation: Emergency services and number of buses await the arrival of rescued passengers at Jindo
Crowd: Survivors, including young children, gather in front of medical officials as they look to stay warm
Safety: Passengers are led to waiting transport along the waterfront in Jindo, which is the third largest island in South Korea
Prepared: Paramedics wait to treat injured passengers being brought back to land
Help arrives: A helicopter and fishing boat try
to rescue passengers from the ferry which is stranded in water off the
southern coast of South Korea
Account: Survivors have said they heard a 'loud
bang' before the ship began rolling on its side. Authorities have
confirmed there are no large reefs or rocks in the area
Another passenger reported hearing a loud noise before the incident.
'We heard a big thumping sound and the boat stopped,' the passenger told the YTN news channel by telephone.
The water temperature in the area was about 12 degrees Celsius, cold enough to cause signs of hypothermia after about 90 minutes or 2 hours, according to an emergency official who spoke on condition of anonymity citing department rules.
The students are from a high school in Ansan city near Seoul and were on their way to Jeju island for a four-day trip, according to a relief team set up by Gyeonggi Province, which governs the city. The ferry left Incheon port, just west of Seoul, on Tuesday evening, according to the state-run Busan Regional Maritime Affairs & Port Administration.
At the high school, students were sent home and parents gathered for news about the ferry.
Park Ji-hee, a first-year student, said she saw about a dozen parents crying at the school entrance and many cars and taxis gathered at the gate as she left in the morning.
She said some students in her classroom began to cry as they saw the news on their handsets. Teachers tried to soothe them, saying that the students on the ferry would be fine.
Reunion: A father hugs his daughter who was pulled from the sinking ferry
Agony: A list of survivors is attached to the
wall of a gym in Jindo. Terrified parents approach to see if they can
find the names of their children
Scared: A mother, pictured right, finds her son's name among the list of rescued passengers. More than 100 are unaccounted for
Scared: Rescued passengers support each other inside the school gym as they wait to hear news concerning their fellow passengers
Worried: Parents gather at Danwon high school in
Ansan, South Korea, to search for their childrens' names are on the
list of survivors
Emotional: Parents at the school are demanding
information on the whereabouts of their loved ones who were on a trip
when the ferry began to sink
Relief: The mother reacts as she finds her son's
name om the survivors list at a gym where rescued passengers have
gathered in Jindo
Prayer: Parents wait to be reunited with their children as a bus carrying rescued passengers returns to Danwon high school
Frantic: South Korean coast guard police work quickly to organise a rescue operation
Shocking: A man watches the dramatic images shown on TV news in South Korea
A total of 16 helicopters, 34 rescue vessels and navy divers were sent to the area, Lee Gyeong-og, a vice minister for South Korea's Public Administration and Security Ministry, told a televised news conference. He said President Park Geun-hye ordered a thorough rescue operation to prevent deaths. He said 14 had been injured so far, including one described as serious, and taken to hospitals.
Later Wednesday, 21 navy and 11 coast guard divers began searching the near-sunken ship for survivors, according to emergency officials.
The U.S. Navy has also sent a ship to join the search-and-rescue operation. They said the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, which has helicopters on board, was on a routine patrol off South Korea's west coast and was diverted to the scene of the accident.
President Park Geun-hye ordered all available vessels and special operations divers to assist with the operation, as the rescue continues to help the remaining passengers.
It is not yet clear what caused the car ferry 'Sewol' to sink during what should have been a routine voyage.
'There are around 450 people on board and we have coastguard vessels, commercial ships in the area, as well as helicopters all engaged in the rescue operation,' a spokesman said.
YTN TV also reported the ship may have hit rocks due to fog, citing a South Korean government official.
The white car ferry was 20-years-old having been built in 1994 to hold a capacity of 921 passengers, South Korea's largest news agency Yonhap claims.
Saved: Passengers were brought onto land in Jindo after a South Korean ferry carrying 476 passengers and crew sank
Concerned: Koreans gathered around televisions to watch the rescue operation unfold off South Korea's southwestern coast
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